1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cellular phone having a function of taking pictures.
2. Description of the Background Art
In recent years, cellular phones have been widely used. Shapes of such cellular phones can be roughly divided into three types, i.e., a straight type, a flip type and a clamshell type. Among them, the cellular phone of the clamshell type can be small in size when it is folded so that the needs for it are higher than those for the other types.
Recently, such a cellular phone has been proposed that is provided with a liquid crystal sub-display on a rear surface remote from a main liquid crystal display, and also a cellular phone having a camera function has been proposed.
FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a conventional clamshell-type cellular phone 100 with a camera (Model Name: SH251i, Manufacturer: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, released on Jun. 1, 2002). Cellular phone 100 includes a first body 101 and a second body 102. First body 101 and second body 102 are coupled together via a hinge 103, and can be mutually turnable around hinge 103 to provide a foldable structure. As shown in FIG. 17, cellular phone 100 is provided at first body 101 with a first display portion 104. First display portion 104 is arranged such that first display portion 104 is located inside cellular phone 100 in the folded state. First display portion 104 (i.e., main display) comprises a liquid crystal display or an EL display, and displays an image based on image data, which is sent via a first display driver portion arranged within the body. Cellular phone 100 is provided at its rear surface of first body 101 with an antenna portion 105 and a helical portion 106. Cellular phone 100 is provided at a side surface of first body 101 with a second shutter button 107 for a camera function. Cellular phone 100 is further provided at its upper portion with a first loud speaker 108, which is used for telephone conversation.
An open/close detector 109 is a detecting portion for detecting whether cellular phone 100 is in a folded state or not. A small projection 109a is formed at a lower portion of first body 101 near hinge 103, and a small aperture 109b is formed at an upper portion of second body 102 near hinge 103. A detection switch (not shown) is arranged within aperture 109b. Open/close detector 109 includes projection 109a, aperture 109b and the detection switch. When cellular phone 100 is folded, projection 109a on first body 101 enters aperture 109b at second body 102, and thereby activates the detection switch (not shown) so that a control portion arranged within the body determines that cellular phone 100 is folded.
Description will now be given on second body 102 of conventional cellular phone 100. An input button portion 110 includes keys for entering numbers and letters. A function button group 111 is a group of buttons for achieving various kinds of setting and function selection in the cellular phone. A power button 112 for power-on/off, a first shutter button 113 for a camera function, which will be described later, a mail/guidance button 114 for a mail function and guidance display, a start and speaker-receive button 115 for starting a call and speaker-receiving, and a multi-guide button 116 formed of a four-way button and a decision button, which are used for performing up/down and right/left selection as well as decision on a function selecting screen. Second body 102 is provided at its lower portion with a conversation microphone 117.
In the conventional cellular phone, hinge 103, function button group 111, input button group 110 and conversation microphone 117 are successively arranged on second body 102.
FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing an outer appearance of a rear side of cellular phone 100 shown in FIG. 17. FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing an outer appearance of cellular phone 100 in a folded state. FIG. 20 is a side view showing an outer appearance of cellular phone 100 in the folded state. First body 101 is provided at its rear surface with a second display portion 120, a camera portion 121, a light portion 122 and antenna portion 105 already described.
Second display portion 120 is arranged to occupy an outside position when cellular phone 100 is in the folded state. Second display portion 120 (sub-display) comprises a liquid crystal display or an EL display. Second display portion 120 displays images based on image data sent via a second display driver portion arranged in the body.
Camera portion 121 includes imaging lenses, an imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor, and RGB (i.e., tricolor) color filters. In camera portion 121, the color filters produce tricolor light of RGB from the light, which are reflected by a subject and are transmitted through the imaging lenses. As shown in FIG. 18, camera portion 121 is arranged to occupy an outside position when cellular phone 100 is in the folded state.
Light portion 122 is used as an auxiliary light source when taking images by camera portion 121. In general, many kinds of conventional auxiliary light sources employ xenon tubes. In recent times, however, some kinds of auxiliary light sources employ red, green and blue LEDs, which are simultaneously turned on to emit while light.
Second body 102 is provided at its rear surface with a battery portion 123 for holding a battery and a second speaker 124 for playing a ringing tone.
Referring to FIGS. 21A and 21B, description will now be given on a manner of taking pictures by conventional cellular phone 100. FIG. 21A shows a general manner of taking a picture of a subject. A photographer opens cellular phone 100, directs camera portion 121 to the subject, and uses first display portion 104 as a finder. FIG. 21B shows a general manner, in which the photographer takes a picture of the photographer himself. In this case, the photographer uses second display portion 120 as a finder so that the photographer can take a picture while viewing a picture to be taken. In general, many cellular phones are configured to display a mirror image on second display portion 120 by laterally inverting an original image for preventing unnatural feeling. As shown in FIG. 21A, the photographer can use either first shutter button 113 or second shutter button 107, which is arranged on a side surface of first body 101. As shown in FIG. 21B, the photographer takes a picture by operating second shutter button 107 on cellular phone 100 in the folded state. However, a picture can be taken even by cellular phone 100 in an open state. In the open state, the photographer can operate second shutter button 107 arranged on the side surface of first body 101.
Even in the clamshell-type cellular phone with the camera, which has the two display portions as described above, it is still necessary or desirable to improve the cellular phone for effective use of the sub-display by the user.
When the clamshell-type cellular phone is in the folded state, an input portion is not available to the user except for shutter button 107 arranged on the side surface of first body 101. In a camera mode, sub-display 120 is used merely as a finder. In a standby mode, sub-display 120 displays a standby screen, a clock, mail arrival and others. However, these are merely items or matters, which were preset for automatic display on sub-display 120 by the user operating the cellular phone in the open state.
Accordingly, when the photographer intends, e.g., to control an amount of light from light portion 122, which is arranged beside camera portion 121, in a camera mode, it is necessary to open the cellular phone and to operate keys on second body 102 while viewing a controlled amount of light, which is displayed on main display 104. Likewise, for setting the standby screen or the clock display, the photographer is required to open the cellular phone and to perform such setting while viewing main display 104. Further, when sub-display 120 displays arrival of a mail, the photographer is required to open the cellular phone and to view main display 104 for reading contents of the mail. As described above, the display is located on the outer surface of the cellular phone in the folded state, but the operation of such display can be performed only after opening the cellular phone, which is a troublesome operation for the user.
The direction of the body of the cellular phone in the folded state is inverted from that in the open state. When the user changes the state of cellular phone, e.g., from the folded state to the open state, the user must change the direction or position of the cellular phone on the user's hand.